Effect of Methylphenidate Treatment on Sleep in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: Our study aimed to compare the pre - and post-treatment sleep habits of children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who use methylphenidate and to evaluate the effect of the treatment on sleep problems. Methods: This study includes pre-treatment and post-treatment evaluations. Children's sleep habits and problems were assessed with the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). We gave scales for the parents and teachers of 51 patients who participated in the study. Results: When the sub-scales of CSHQ applied before and after the treatment were analyzed, we found that only the parasomnia subscale score was statistically significantly higher before the treatment (p=0.026); and there was no statistically significant difference between other subscale scores (p>0.05). Compared to whether there is a sleep problem before and after treatment, there was no significant difference between them (p=0.993). Conclusion: In our study, after methylphenidate treatment, we found that parasomnia decreased. We found that there was no difference between the pre - and post-methylphenidate treatment in the presence of sleep problems. Considering the inconsistent results of studies on the effect of methylphenidate on sleep problems, studies requiring longer-term treatments and evaluating sleep habits and problems with more objective methods are needed.